Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)

Director:

Alan Rudolph

Writers (WGA):

Alan Rudolph (written by) &
Randy Sue Coburn (written by)

Release Date:

23 November 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

At the center of the circle is a woman ahead of her time.

Plot:

Dorothy Parker remembers the heyday of the Algonquin Round Table, a circle of friends whose barbed wit...

Plot Keywords:

Algonquin Round Table | Alcohol | New Year's Eve | Dog | 1930s

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Dorothy Parker
Campbell Scott	...	Robert Benchley
Matthew Broderick	...	Charles MacArthur
Peter Gallagher	...	Alan Campbell
Jennifer Beals	...	Gertrude Benchley
Andrew McCarthy	...	Eddie Parker
Wallace Shawn	...	Horatio Byrd
Martha Plimpton	...	Jane Grant
Sam Robards	...	Harold Ross
Lili Taylor	...	Edna Ferber
James LeGros	...	Deems Taylor
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Paula Hunt
Nick Cassavetes	...	Robert Sherwood
David Thornton	...	George S. Kaufman
Heather Graham	...	Mary Kennedy Taylor
Tom McGowan	...	Alexander Woollcott
Chip Zien	...	Franklin P. Adams
Gary Basaraba	...	Heywood Broun
Jane Adams	...	Ruth Hale
Stephen Baldwin	...	Roger Spalding
Matt Malloy	...	Marc Connelly
Rebecca Miller	...	Neysa McMein
Jake Johannsen	...	John Peter Toohey
Amelia Campbell	...	Mary Brandon Sherwood
David Gow	...	Donald Ogden Stewart
Leni Parker	...	Beatrice Kaufman
Jean-Michel Henry	...	Harpo Marx (as J.M. Henry)
Stanley Tucci	...	Fred Hunter
Mina Badie	...	Joanie Gerard
Randy Lowell	...	Alvan Barach
Keith Carradine	...	Will Rogers
Jon Favreau	...	Elmer Rice (as John Favreau)
Gabriel Gascon	...	Georges Attends
Harry Standjofski	...	Home Movie Director
Bruce Dinsmore	...	Assistant Director
Matt Holland	...	Propman
Joe De Paul	...	Producer
Arthur Holden	...	Ward
Jack Langedijk	...	Valentine's Day Director
Howard Rosenstein	...	Actor
Eleanor Noble	...	Actress
Jesse Evans	...	Mail Clerk
Peter Benchley	...	Frank Crowninshield
Phillip Patton	...	Speakeasy Bartender
Sam Stone	...	Cab Driver (1922)
Natalie Strong	...	Nurse
Malcolm Gets	...	F. Scott Fitzgerald
Barbara Jones	...	Long Island Hostess
Maurice Podbrey	...	Long Island Investor
Walter Massey	...	Phillip the Producer
Gisèle Rousseau	...	Polly Adler
Ellen David	...	New Yorker Secretary
Domini Blythe	...	Actress in Mirror
Gregory Hlady	...	Russian Director
Mark Camacho	...	Writer #1
Bill Rowat	...	Writer #2
Robert Higden	...	Writer #3
Vanya Rose	...	Marcy
Cary Lawrence	...	June
Richard Jutras	...	Cab Driver (1958)
James Bradford	...	Host at Tribute (as Jim Bradford)
Michael McGill	...	Reporter #1
Harry Hill	...	Reporter #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roc LaFortune	...	Bartender (1958)
Cyndi Lauper	...	Picnic Guest (uncredited)
Tom Robbins	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Rudolph

Writing credits (WGA)
Alan Rudolph		(written by) &
Randy Sue Coburn		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Altman	....	producer
Scott Bushnell	....	executive producer
Ira Deutchman	....	executive producer
James McLindon	....	associate producer
Allan F. Nicholls	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Mark Isham

Cinematography by
Jan Kiesser

Film Editing by
Suzy Elmiger

Production Design by
François Séguin

Art Direction by
James Fox

Set Decoration by
Frances Calder

Costume Design by
Renée April
John Hay

Makeup Department
André Duval	....	assistant hair stylist
Réjean Goderre	....	hair stylist
Roseline Hoffman	....	makeup artist
Adrien Morot	....	makeup effects
David Robin	....	assistant hair stylist
Micheline Trépanier	....	makeup artist
Nathalie Trépanier	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Estelle Lemieux	....	unit manager
Irene Litinsky	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Buck Deachman	....	second assistant director
Leslie Grierson	....	third assistant director
Allan F. Nicholls	....	assistant director

Art Department
Patrice Bengle	....	property master
Jean Bournet	....	set dresser
Michel Brochu	....	construction supervisor
Denis Caspar	....	model maker
Michelle Drolet	....	art coordinator
Anne Galéa	....	set dresser
Nicole Légaré	....	property buyer
Mario Racicot	....	property master
Annie Regol	....	set dresser
Daniel Robert	....	swing gang
François Sénécal	....	swing gang
Joëlle Turenne	....	set dresser

Sound Department
John Alberts	....	sound supervisor
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Laura Civiello	....	dialogue editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Frank Kern	....	foley editor
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor
Richard Nichol	....	sound
Barbara Parks	....	sound editor: pro-tools
Bruce Pross	....	foley supervisor
Jac Rubenstein	....	sound supervisor
John Salk	....	sound effects editor
Michael Semanick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steven Visscher	....	foley editor
Philip Rogers	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
Jacques Godbout	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Harold Arsenault	....	clapper loader
Robert Auclair	....	electrician
Sylvain Bergevin	....	electrician
Sylvain Bélanger	....	electrician
Stéphane de Ernsted	....	grip
François Dupéré	....	key grip (as Francois Dupene)
Gilles Fortier	....	best boy electric
Jacob Fortier	....	electrician
Jacques Fortier	....	gaffer
Robert Guertin	....	focus puller
Daniel Jobin	....	second assistant camera
Pierre Malouin	....	grip
Yves Ouimet	....	electrician
Stephanie Pilon	....	grip
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Lucie Robitaille	....	casting: Canada

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Céline Caron	....	assistant dresser
Mariane Carter	....	dresser (as Marianne Carter)
Hélène Dancereau	....	seamstress
Christine Grenier	....	shop costumer
Suzanne Hurtoubise	....	seamstress
Francine Leboeuf	....	seamstress
Helene Tessier	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Céline Béland	....	assistant editor
Mario Ontal	....	apprentice editor
Catherine Rankin	....	negative cutter
Dylan Tichenor	....	associate editor
Zeborah Tidwell	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Stephen Krause	....	scoring mixer
Ken Kugler	....	music arranger
Ken Kugler	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Alain Bernard	....	driver
Ginette Hoyse	....	driver
Jeff Racine	....	driver

Other crew
Henri Albertin	....	shop assistant
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Anne Brosseau	....	production coordinator
Celia Converse	....	representative: Sandcastle
Sofie Handfield	....	production secretary
Jimmy Kontos	....	production assistant
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
Amanda Michener	....	researcher
Rebecca Morton	....	assistant: Alan Rudolph
Charles Obrul	....	laboratory liaison
Caroline Poirier	....	shop assistant
Susan Scott	....	murals
George Sheanshang	....	legal services
Michèle St-Arnaud	....	location manager

Thanks
Clayton Benchley	....	special thanks
Bob De Flores	....	special thanks
Heather Holst	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Fine Line Features
• Mayfair Entertainment
• Miramax Films
• Park Bench Productions

Distributors

• Artificial Eye (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
• Scotia International Filmverleih (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Shochiku-Fuji Company (1996) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features
• Laurenfilm (Spain)
• Video Company (Brazil) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects)

Other Companies

• Creative Casting  casting
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Germany:12 | Australia:M | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Algonquin Hotel - 59 W. 44th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Fine Line Features

Trivia:

Keith Carradine created the role of Will Rogers in "Will Rogers Follies" on Broadway, and he has a cameo in this movie as Will Rogers.

Quotes:

Paula Hunt:[to Mrs. Parker] You know, I think it's just as hard to get that look right in life as it is on the stage. Well, someone has to leave. If you ask me, it should be the person who already has their clothes on. But then, you're the writers. I'm just an actress.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game-On: Episode #3.2" (1998)

Terrible bio but good period flavor...

As a bio of the witty writer Dorothy Parker, this film is a dud. We have JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, correctly attired in period costume and hairdo, but rattling about in scenes of overlapping dialog and barely discernible comments being muttered by her under her breath. A striking performance? I don't think so. Leigh strikes out here, just as she struck out when she attempted to win plaudits for her Catherine Sloper in WASHINGTON SQUARE.

Nice period atmosphere, sets, costumes and music can't make up for an utterly aimless script that is as empty as the babble going on among the sophisticated literate circle Parker was a part of. She gets some nice support from a cast of competent players but since the whole film depends on understanding what makes Parker tick, it's got to be called a failure.

Parker deserved better than this. Hopefully, some day someone with a sense of how to bring her to life will do so with a script that can make us sympathize with the characterization instead of the sketchy view we get here. Nor does it help that few of the characters bear any physical resemblance to the people they're portraying. Did they know what Robert Benchley looked like?